Parameters influencing the design of photobioreactor for the growth of microalgae

K.K. Vasumathi, M. Premalatha and P. Subramanian

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2012, vol. 16, issue 7, 5443-5450

Abstract: Carbon dioxide sequestration using microalgae is the most promising method for combating global warming. Growth of microalgae is influenced by the availability of carbon dioxide, number of photons, initial concentration of microalgae and nutrients. The transfer of carbon dioxide from flue gas and absorption of photons from sunlight are influenced by the surface area/volume ratio of photobioreactor. The growth rate of microalgae follows lag, log, deceleration and stationary phases. The rate of growth increases with concentration of microalgae till an optimum concentration of algae is reached and then decreases for any fixed operating conditions and selected microalgae. At an optimum concentration the rate is the highest always. Operating a photobioreactor at this optimum concentration with highest surface area to volume ratio would require the smallest size of photobioreactor for a given production rate. Based on the review on the performance of various existing photobioreactors and the growth mechanism of microalgae it is observed that the design and operation of an efficient photo bioreactor system should consider (1) providing highest spread area to volume ratio (2) maintaining optimum concentration matching the highest rate (3) harvesting the excess microalgae formed over the optimum concentration to maintain the optimum concentration and (4) adding nutrients to the growth medium to maintain nutrient concentration at a constant level.

Keywords: Carbon dioxide sequestration; Biofixation; Microalgae; Photosynthesis; Autocatalysis; Photobioreactor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032112003930
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:rensus:v:16:y:2012:i:7:p:5443-5450

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... 600126/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2012.06.013

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews is currently edited by L. Kazmerski

More articles in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().